Feb 7, 2024

Crookham promotes new onion varieties

The Crookham Co. is publicizing its recent onion variety releases, some of which produced record yields.

New long day, short day and Vidalia onions are being released by Crookham.

Long day onions

“The numbers are in, and Defender had an extraordinary year in the Pacific Northwest Basin with record breaking yields,” Crookham said in a news release. “The spring was conducive to early root and leaf development after emergence. The late spring and early summer was warm, yet moderate, and the onion crop stand establishment was better than in previous years.”

Crookham’s hybrid Defender thrived in these conditions.  The seed quality added uniformity and yield to the equation. The stand was near perfect with an onion every 4.0 inches apart and healthy bulbs all the way down the rows. A record-breaking yield of 57 tons per acre was the result. This translates into 1,140 x 100-pound bags per acre in a year where long day onions are in demand, according to the release.

Caldwell and Trident continue to expand in popularity in the mid-west and north-east and are known for their strong root system which allows them to adapt to changing conditions. Caldwell and Caliber are proven dependable choices in Northern California. Crookham onions are proud to be on several processing lists, with Caldwell, Trident, Defender, and Caliber leading the way, according to the release.

White Cloud and Great White continue to be a mainstay in the Mexican State of Chihuahua and the Baja region. With the addition of White Summit, more maturity segments will be established, and it will compete in the Long Day category for this region, according to the release.

As for the long day reds, look for a strong contender in the market coming this summer and contact breeder lead onion developer Lyndon Johnson for an early introduction of this variety.

Vidalias, short day onions

Crookham is also releasing a new hearty Vidalia variety that will be a strong competitor in the early season with a mid-April maturity slot. Two other new hybrids are advancing steadily in the Vidalia category as well. Crookham plans to release the new varieties this year, according to the release.

Some new short days varieties hit the market in 2024. You can find out more about these varieties and why they will add value to your short day program here.

Based in Caldwell, Idaho, Crookham is breeder and supplier of onions, sweet corn and popcorn seed.